Former Clinton Campaign Manager Joins Obama

In what it's billing as "a major step...in readying for the general election fight," the Obama campaign announced 15 new hires to its leadership team today. The most familiar name on the list is that of Patti Solis Doyle, who was Hillary Clinton's longtime campaign manager before being replaced by Maggie Williams in February.

Doyle, a longtime friend of Obama chief strategist David Axelrod, will serve as the chief of staff to Obama's running mate. Her hiring will likely be interpreted as a signal that the Obama campaign is consolidating various elements of the party, including former Clinton loyalists, after the long and sometimes bitter battle for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Another notable name on the list is that of Democratic operative Stephanie Cutter, who became well known to political reporters as the communications director for Democratic nominee John Kerry in 2004. Cutter, presently the spokeswoman for Sen. Edward Kennedy, will be a senior advisor to the campaign and chief of staff to Michelle Obama.

A full list of the new staffers, as provided by the campaign, is below.